The ammunition factory that Rheinmetall is starting to build in Lithuania this year, in partnership with Lithuanian companies, is expected to begin operations in early 2027, an official from the German defence giant said in Vilnius on Tuesday.
“We are working very hard and very quickly. Everything is on schedule, and we expect to meet the deadlines for the end of 2026 and [...] start the operations at the beginning of 2027,” Rheinmetall Expal Munitions CEO Jose Manuel Fernandez Bosch told reporters after meeting with Lithuanian Economy and Innovation Minister Lukas Savickas.
This year, Rheinmetall, in partnership with two Lithuanian state-owned companies – Epso-G Invest, a subsidiary of the energy group Epso-G, and Giraitės Ginkluotės Gamykla (Giraitė Armament Plant, GGG) – is set to launch a project to build a 155 mm artillery ammunition factory in Baisogala, a small town in the northern district of Radviliškis.
Savickas said after the meeting that work on the factory project is progressing according to schedule, and no major challenges have arisen so far.
“The company doesn’t see any significant challenges in meeting the deadlines. We discussed current matters regarding what else Lithuania could do to help develop a broader defence industry ecosystem,” he told reporters.
The minister did not specify what joint projects with Rheinmetall could be implemented in the future, but he said that the construction of the Baisogala factory will also benefit other sectors.
“There are opportunities for the entire ecosystem to develop around this, to service equipment, to contribute to the implementation of the would-be investment project for construction companies and others who could carry out certain work at the site. All of this is a tangible benefit for our economy,” he said.
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